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T The five series of tests against India condensed in just over six weeks will determine whether there is an annus horribilis or mirabilis for l & # 39; England. The series of tests against Pakistan was a disappointment although it was countered by ODI victories against Australia and India. But that is what will define the summer of England.
The two captains have their problems although it is difficult to establish this by following a majestic path through their mandatory press conferences the day before the match. Virat Kohli leads the No. 1 team in the world, but he is still being asked for his record (very modest) in England and the difference between his record at home and abroad, which is substantial.
The focus on Kohli's previous release and his struggles against Jimmy Anderson have to be heavenly manna for all his other drummers. On Tuesday, he was serene, soft and mellow, when he answered questions from Indian journalists. He spoke in generalities and his words were received as if he was a very senior politician or a minor deity.
The problem for Joe Root is that England has won only one of their last nine Test games, the last Leeds. He naturally tends to consider this victory as the platform of a revival. This series will test the validity of this theory. We were assured that both parties were "in a good place".
In reality, selection processes on both sides can indicate their state of mind just as clearly. England announced its team 22 hours before the start of the match suggesting a frank and uncompromising attitude, although this is not necessarily confirmed by the chosen names. At Edgbaston, there was the opportunity to allow Root a wide variety of options, four pacemen and two spinners even before the captain would consider himself (Root, remember, managed to catch up with the bottom of Lancashire in the Rose match last week – Adil Rashid could not have done it faster.)
Edgbaston's surface had changed color on Tuesday. The field itself now has very little visible green grass; it looks brown, dry and reasonably hard unlike the outside field, which is green green, a source of anxiety, it is assumed, to water boards and inverted swingers. With a weather forecast predicting more sun and high temperatures, there is a strong chance that spinners will have an impact on the game.
Explaining his chosen side, Root said, "This team gives us a great This gives us a very large number of options.I think this gives us the best chance of taking 20 wickets.It's the thought.This gives us a great variety, different angles, options. of different rotation and some world class players with the ball. "
Well, that sounds reassuring. The bold approach would have made the pacemen do the most damage in the first innings with the spinners making an impact in the second. But to have the maximum of options with the ball on that side, Dawid Malan would have been replaced by Moeen Ali.
But Moeen, who has a good Ground Test record where he started his professional career, has been left out and Rashid is the solitary specialist spinner (with deference to Root). This means that there are only two changes on the side that beat Pakistan in Leeds.
Maybe they were uncomfortable making more changes than this after such a crushing victory. If the confidence was really strong, there were surely good reasons to play Moeen. Moeen did not score a lot of points this summer – Malan either – but in his last test against India, he scored 190 points during the Chennai match in December 2016. You never know very much well what Moeen is going to do, which remains one of his charms. Without Malan, Moeen would have been a candidate four times; as well as Ben Stokes, who seems to be converted to become an old blocker since his return. Or England could have pulled straws to establish the order of four to seven, which may not be so good in the 21st century scientist.
The absence of Moeen makes Rashid's role more delicate. He has never played a test in England; he's never been the solitary specialist spinner on the side. And he never started in a test match with the words "He's a spoiled brat" from Geoffrey Boycott rings in his ears.
Moeen has been Rashid's mentor lately and it might have been helpful to have him on the side. help carry the spinning burden. Now, Racine has to launch Rashid in the first few rounds, whether he likes it or not; this situation would have been facilitated by the presence of Moeen. This selection makes life more difficult for the spinner of the leg that comes back.
Kohli was much less clairvoyant on his side. In the recent past, India has tended to play only one roulette in England and they could do the same on Wednesday with Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma backed by off-roader Hardik Pandya.
The exceptionally talented Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-arm, was included in the team but it would be a surprise if he played. England has seven southpaws in their squad, most of whom have been castrated by Nathan Lyon in Australia, so Ravi Ashwin will surely play. Ravindra Jadeja has skittled Afghanistan in his last test and he knows how to bat. Two spinners, Ashwin and Jadeja, would seem to be a good idea for tourists.
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